What does Right of Entry actually do for my child?

It lets a Singapore citizen under 21 who also holds a foreign passport clear Singapore immigration on the foreign book. The ROE is issued on that foreign passport itself, and once ICA confirms issuance, the passport can be used for immigration clearance entering and leaving Singapore at Singapore checkpoints. It doesn't guarantee entry or exit anywhere else.

Does ROE mean my child can keep both citizenships after 21?

No. ROE is not permission to hold dual citizenship past 21, and ICA's form makes you acknowledge that Singapore doesn't allow dual citizenship for adults and that the child must choose a citizenship on turning 21. For citizens by descent or registration, that runs through ORAL, a separate exercise on its own clock, so diary it independently.

Who files the ROE request — the parent or the child?

It depends on the child's age. For a child under 16, a parent submits, or a proxy the parents have appointed. From 16 to 20, the child can file as the requestor themselves, though a parent can still file. A proxy needs a letter of authorisation signed by the parent, carrying the parent's, the child's and the proxy's particulars.

How do I actually file an ROE request?

Through ICA's online ROE request form, linked from ICA's Right of Entry page, which you log into with Singpass. Have the child's Singapore identity number, the foreign passport details, a scan of the passport's biodata page and, if the names differ, the deed poll or religious certificate ready. If nobody who can file has Singpass, ask ICA at ICA_CS1@ica.gov.sg.

My child holds two foreign passports — does one ROE cover both?

No. ICA's form says a separate request is needed for each foreign passport if the child holds more than one foreign citizenship. That matters if there are two books in the drawer and you've only ever thought about one of them.

The name on the foreign passport doesn't exactly match my child's IC. Is that a problem?

Yes, and there's no discretion in it — the name on the foreign passport has to match ICA's records before ROE will be issued on that passport. If your child already holds a Singapore IC, change the name in ICA's records through the IC unit first. If not, upload the deed poll or religious certificate with the request, because ICA rejects it without one and you have to submit again.

We just renewed the foreign passport — does the ROE carry over?

No. The ROE is tied to the passport you submitted, and ICA's instruction is to submit a request to transfer it to the new travel document, using the same form. New passport first, ICA's confirmation second, and only then book the long-haul flight.

Right of Entry (ROE) for dual-passport Singaporeans under 21

Right of Entry lets a citizen under 21 clear Singapore immigration on a foreign passport. It's free, but every new foreign passport needs a fresh request.

Living7 min readReviewed 2 Oct 2026

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The dual-passport kid threads on r/askSingapore tend to blur the pink IC, the Singapore passport, the foreign passport and ORAL at 21 into one airport-queue panic. ICA actually publishes something much narrower for this situation. It's called Right of Entry, and it exists so that a Singapore citizen under 21 who also holds a foreign passport can clear Singapore immigration on the foreign book.

Be clear about what it isn't. ROE is not permission to hold dual citizenship past 21. ICA's own request form makes you acknowledge that Singapore doesn't allow dual citizenship for adults and that the child has to choose a citizenship on turning 21. For children who became citizens by descent or registration, that choice is the ORAL. And if what you need is a status letter for a school or a foreign mission, that's a different product again, covered in confirmation of citizenship status.

Who can get one

ROE is for a Singapore citizen under 21 who also holds a foreign passport. There's no fee. When the documents are complete, the outcome generally comes back within 3 working days, which by ICA standards is quick enough that you shouldn't need to plan a trip around it — though you should still not leave it until the week you fly.

Who files depends on age. For a child under 16, a parent submits, or a proxy the parents have appointed. From 16 to 20, the child can file as the requestor themselves, and the form still lets a parent file for any citizen child under 21.

The ROE is issued on the foreign passport itself, and it's one request per passport. If your child holds two foreign citizenships, each passport needs its own request. Once ICA confirms issuance, that passport can be used for immigration clearance entering and leaving Singapore at Singapore checkpoints.

Documents, and the name-match trap

The form itself is short. Have these ready before you open it:

the child's Singapore identity number, and their full name as on their latest Singapore documents (birth certificate, citizenship certificate, passport or IC)
the child's full name, citizenship and passport number exactly as they appear on the foreign passport
a scan of the foreign passport's biodata page, the one with the photo and personal details
a deed poll or religious certificate (a baptism certificate, for example) if the name on the foreign passport is different from Singapore's records
a letter of authorisation, if an appointed proxy is filing

Two of those are automatic rejections if they're missing. ICA will reject the request without the biodata page, and without the proof of name change when the names differ. A rejection means a fresh submission and a fresh wait.

The rule that actually trips families up is the name match. The name on the foreign passport has to match ICA's records before ROE will be issued on that passport, and there's no discretion in it. How you fix a mismatch depends on whether the child has a Singapore IC yet. Citizens register for one at 15, before their 16th birthday.

No IC yet: upload the deed poll or religious certificate with the ROE request.
Already holds an IC: ICA's instruction is to approach its IC unit and change the name in ICA's records before getting the ROE. That's the IC change-of-particulars e-Service, which costs S$60 and is processed within seven working days, longer in peak periods. For a minor, both birth parents have to consent to the name change, or the consenting parent needs an Order of Court.

Small drift counts, say a middle name dropped on one document or a spelling normalised on the other. Sort it before you file, because applying for ROE and hoping the mismatch gets waved through just costs you the wait twice. The deed poll and IC steps are in the name-change guide.

Anything not in English needs an official translation. ICA accepts a translation from the embassy of the country that issued the document, one produced by a notary public in Singapore or in that country, or a private translation that the embassy has attested or a notary has notarised. It doesn't endorse any translation company. ICA's page also says you need originals plus copies for it to keep, and that it may ask for more documents, so keep the paper versions to hand after you upload.

If a proxy is filing, the letter of authorisation has to carry three sets of particulars:

the authorising parent's name, Singapore identity number and signature
the child's name, Singapore identity number and foreign passport number
the proxy's name, and their Singapore identity number or passport number

Filing the request

Check the child is in scope: a Singapore citizen under 21 who holds a foreign passport.
Line up the names, as above. This is the step people skip and the one that stalls everything downstream.
Open ICA's ROE request form from ICA's Right of Entry page and log in with Singpass. The form pulls the filer's name from Myinfo and verifies your email address with a one-time PIN. ICA replies to that address, so use one you actually check.
Pick who the request is for (the child filing for themselves, or a parent or proxy filing for a child), enter the passport details, upload the scans and tick the declarations. FormSG estimates five minutes. File one request per foreign passport.
Wait for ICA's confirmation that the ROE has been issued before the child travels on that passport. The form's declaration asks you to accept exactly that.

If nobody who could file has Singpass, email ICA at [email protected], the contact the form gives for questions, and ask how they want it handled.

When the foreign passport is renewed

The ROE doesn't migrate to the new book on its own. It's tied to the validity of the passport you submitted, and ICA's instruction is that when the child gets a new travel document, you submit a request to transfer the ROE to it. In practice that's the same form again, with the new passport's number and a fresh biodata scan. If the new passport carries a different name from the old one, the name-match rule applies all over again.

Think of it the way PR families think about the Transfer REP habit: new passport first, immigration annotation second, and only then book the long-haul flight. For timing a child's renewal around school terms, see kids' passport renewal and term-time travel.

What ROE is not

What people believe	What's actually true
"ROE means they can keep both citizenships forever"	It doesn't. Singapore doesn't allow dual citizenship for adults, and the choice lands at 21
"ROE replaces a Singapore passport"	It only makes clearance work on a foreign passport. It isn't a substitute for citizenship documents
"ROE helps at other countries' borders too"	The form's declaration says ROE does not guarantee entry or exit to countries other than Singapore
"The embassy can issue ROE overseas, like a visa sticker"	It's requested through ICA's online form and confirmed by ICA, so follow that flow and whatever instructions are live at the time, rather than mission folklore
"The confirmation letter is the same thing"	Different product entirely. The confirmation letter is a digital status letter costing S$20, and it does nothing at a checkpoint

One more from the form's small print. Some governments don't recognise dual citizenship and may not give the Singapore embassy or consulate consular access to a child while they're in that country. ICA asks dual-citizen children to take care when travelling, and to get that country's own advice on travelling there lawfully if they haven't completed its renunciation process.

If you have a son in this position, National Service is the other clock running in the background. Get across NS and the Exit Permit before any travel plan assumes the foreign passport keeps making things easy indefinitely.

Questions, answered

What does Right of Entry actually do for my child?: It lets a Singapore citizen under 21 who also holds a foreign passport clear Singapore immigration on the foreign book. The ROE is issued on that foreign passport itself, and once ICA confirms issuance, the passport can be used for immigration clearance entering and leaving Singapore at Singapore checkpoints. It doesn't guarantee entry or exit anywhere else.
Does ROE mean my child can keep both citizenships after 21?: No. ROE is not permission to hold dual citizenship past 21, and ICA's form makes you acknowledge that Singapore doesn't allow dual citizenship for adults and that the child must choose a citizenship on turning 21. For citizens by descent or registration, that runs through ORAL, a separate exercise on its own clock, so diary it independently.
How much does ROE cost and how long does it take?: There's no fee. When the documents are complete, ICA generally issues the outcome within 3 working days, which by ICA standards is quick enough that you shouldn't need to plan a trip around it. Still, don't leave it until the week you fly, because the child shouldn't travel on the foreign passport until the ROE is issued.
Who files the ROE request — the parent or the child?: It depends on the child's age. For a child under 16, a parent submits, or a proxy the parents have appointed. From 16 to 20, the child can file as the requestor themselves, though a parent can still file. A proxy needs a letter of authorisation signed by the parent, carrying the parent's, the child's and the proxy's particulars.
How do I actually file an ROE request?: Through ICA's online ROE request form, linked from ICA's Right of Entry page, which you log into with Singpass. Have the child's Singapore identity number, the foreign passport details, a scan of the passport's biodata page and, if the names differ, the deed poll or religious certificate ready. If nobody who can file has Singpass, ask ICA at [email protected].
My child holds two foreign passports — does one ROE cover both?: No. ICA's form says a separate request is needed for each foreign passport if the child holds more than one foreign citizenship. That matters if there are two books in the drawer and you've only ever thought about one of them.
The name on the foreign passport doesn't exactly match my child's IC. Is that a problem?: Yes, and there's no discretion in it — the name on the foreign passport has to match ICA's records before ROE will be issued on that passport. If your child already holds a Singapore IC, change the name in ICA's records through the IC unit first. If not, upload the deed poll or religious certificate with the request, because ICA rejects it without one and you have to submit again.
We just renewed the foreign passport — does the ROE carry over?: No. The ROE is tied to the passport you submitted, and ICA's instruction is to submit a request to transfer it to the new travel document, using the same form. New passport first, ICA's confirmation second, and only then book the long-haul flight.

Sources & citations

Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.